ØThe Aeolus satellite will be the first to
directly measure wind speeds and directions all over the globe, allowing
scientists to improve worldwide weather forecasts.

ØNamed after the keeper of the winds in Greek
mythology, the probe lifted off

ØStraume said that computer models for predicting
future weather rely heavily on four pieces of information about the atmosphere:
temperature, pressure, humidity and winds.

ØData on air movements are currently collected
from the ground or, indirectly, by observing waves and clouds from planes or
space.

About Aeolus:

ØAeolus is equipped with a so-called lidar
nicknamed Aladin that fires powerful pulses of ultraviolet laser light into the
atmosphere and then observes which way they are scattered when they bounce off
tiny particles in the air.

ØBy comparing the wavelength of the light when it
goes out to the wavelength when it returns, scientists can calculate which way
the air is moving.

ØThe process known as the Doppler effect is
familiar to most people from the way the sound of an ambulance changes whether
it’s moving toward or away from the listener.

ØImportantly, Aeolus will close a gap scientists
have when it comes to measuring winds at altitudes between 10-30 kilometers
(six and 18 miles).

ØIt will also be able to collect data from areas
where ground-based weather stations don’t exist, such as in remote regions on
land or at sea.

ØThe satellite will orbit Earth every 90 minutes,
beaming data to a ground station on Norway’s Arctic island of Svalbard from
where they will be sent to the European Center for Medium-Range Weather
Forecasts in Reading, England.

ØThe European Space Agency said it hopes
real-time wind measurements will also help predict extreme weather and climate
change more accurately.

European Space Agency

ØThe European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe's
gateway to space.

ØIts mission is to shape the development of
Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to
deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ØThe European Space Agency is an
intergovernmental organisation of 22 member states dedicated to the exploration
of space.

ØEstablished in 1975 and headquartered in Paris,
France

Expected prelims question

Consider the following statements

1.Aeolus satellite will be the first to directly
measure wind speeds and directions all over the globe